Architectural Preservation Studio, DPC

Rocky Hill, CT

At Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, a 200 million-year old dinosaur track site was damaged by contractor negligence which involved spillage of sulfuric acid from leaking batteries. Pamela Jerome and Norman Weiss tested methods for cleaning and stabilization of the trackway, which were then successfully implemented by the Grenadier Corporation.

Crete, Greece

Excavated under the auspices of the British School at Athens, Palaikastro is a Bronze Age site on the island of Crete. Over five seasons, Pamela Jerome was responsible for the documentation of the site, materials analysis, and conservation. She also developed the presentation and interpretive schemes and wrote the funding proposals for site conservation. The site consists of an urban landscape with rubble stone and ashlar structures and incorporates one of the few extant examples of a town shrine complex. Building 5, by far the most unusual structure, also contains mud-brick partitions which alter the original layout in a significant way. Pamela Jerome designed the temporary shelter and the proposed permanent shelter to protect the fragile remains.

Roosevelt County, New Mexico

Pamela Jerome evaluated the efficacy of a proposed shelter designed for Blackwater Draw Archaeological Site. The Clovis-period type site is located in New Mexico and consists of the remains of a 12,000-year old bison kill. An evaluation report was submitted to the New Mexico State Historic Preservation Office.

Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt

A Roman through Byzantine-era site in Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, Prof. Jerome performed the initial conservation evaluation for Columbia University’s Department of Anthropology. The site consists of extensive mud-brick ruins with wall paintings still extant.

Sevastopol, Crimea

Chersonesos is an ancient Greek Hellenistic-period colony on the Crimean peninsula with extensive remains of both urban and agricultural environments. Working with Columbia University graduate students and Prof. Norman Weiss as the material scientist, a methodology was developed for conservation of a fortified limestone farmhouse dating to the 4th century BCE excavated by the University of Texas at Austin.

Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, and UT Austin graduate students were trained along with local museum professionals over three seasons to implement the stabilization of the archaeological ruin. In addition, a preservation master plan was developed. The site was successfully nominated and became a World Heritage site in 2012.

New York, NY

Blockhouse # 1, located in Central Park, is a War of 1812 site. Over the years, the masonry structure has received infrequent maintenance and is currently in poor condition. Prof. Jerome supervised Columbia University graduate students’ conditions assessment, historical research, materials analysis and monitoring of this site since 1995. Students also propose presentation and interpretive schemes.